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Islay is the region of Scotland that is best known for its peated whisky, with distilleries like Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Bruichladdich, and Lagavulin all making very smoky single malts that are popular around the world. The island is home to some new distilleries as well, and the first of those is Kilchoman, which opened its doors 20 years ago. While the global whisky market is showing signs of softening, the family-owned operation is bucking trends by increasing production capacity, betting on continued interest in single malt scotch around the world.

Anthony and Kathy Wills established Kilchoman in 2005 as a “farm distillery,” with a focus on what they call the “barley to bottle” philosophy. They run the distillery along with their three sons, with a 100% Islay whisky anchoring the portfolio (the very first release arrived in 2009, just a few years after production began). This whisky is made from barley grown on farmland surrounding the distillery, and every step from malting to bottling is done onsite (other expressions, however, are made from barley purchased from malting houses). This might be a familiar concept if you’re a fan of Bruichladdich, another Islay distillery that releases single malts made from local barley as part of its lineup—including one of the expressions in its annual Octomore series made from barley grown on a single farm. But what seems to make Kilchoman stand out is that the barley used for the 100% Islay whisky is grown on its own farm instead of being sourced from a local grower.

As we’ve reported many times over the past few months, the whisky market both here in America and in abroad is showing some troubled signs, with profits dropping, distilleries pausing operations, and companies scaling back on production. Kilchoman, on the other hand, says that it has increased production capacity over the past year from 100,000 liters of alcohol per year to 600,000, and increased its annual barley production from 100 to 400 tons (it should be noted that last fall Wills said that he was scrapping a planned capital investment last fall, but believes the whisky industry will right its course). “Twenty years ago, many were skeptical about building a new distillery on Islay, but we knew the potential of reviving the farm distilling tradition,” said Wills in a statement. “This anniversary is a testament to the dedication of our entire team, and to see our sons now driving the brand globally is incredibly rewarding. It is a genuine family commitment to sharing the true spirit of Islay.”

The core lineup now consists of a few key single malts that are available to purchase here in the U.S., all of which are peated to varying levels. There’s the aforementioned 100% Islay, aged for a minimum of nine years in bourbon barrels and bottled at 50 percent ABV; the limited-release Machir Bay, which is aged in both bourbon (90 percent) and sherry casks (10 percent) and bottled at cask strength of 58.1 percent ABV; Sanaig, which is aged mostly in sherry casks (70 percent) and bottled at 46 percent ABV; and Batch Strength, which is aged in red wine, Oloroso sherry, and bourbon barrels and bottled at 57 percent ABV.

Kilchoman also launched the 20th Anniversary Cask Series last spring, a set of four releases from five casks—two 14-year-olds, one 15-year-old, and one 18-year-old single malt. And just last month, the distillery released its first 20-year-old expression drawn from its Cask No. 1, the first barrel that was filled on December 14th, 2005 (younger versions from this cask have been previously released). That whisky was made available through a prize drawing that ended before Christmas. So while it might not be available, look for more special releases over the coming year, including a whisky matured in mezcal barrels. Ad for the rest of the brand’s portfolio, you can find it on websites like ReserveBar now.